Does Insurance Cover Methadone Clinics?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse there is an estimated 12–21 million people throughout the world who abuse opioids, As of 2010 there was an estimated 1.9 million people in the United States who are addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers and 359,000 people in the United States that are addicted to heroin. These statistics are reaching almost epidemic proportions as they continue to climb each day. Attempting to meet this demand are the drug rehabilitation treatment centers, such as methadone clinics. They too continue to grow and change, as there is a much greater need for them. While most types of insurance are accepted at drug rehabilitation programs; however, it may vary according to each facility. There are many programs out there some are privately owned, some are non-profit and some are federal or state funded to an extent.

What does my insurance cover?

It is really important that you contact your insurance plan directly to discuss the benefits of your plan and the things they or may not cover. In some cases, they may cover outpatient rehab, some may cover inpatient rehab and there are instances where while they cover the rehab stay, they may not cover medications or follow up treatments. There are also some facilities that require patients to pay up front and then seek reimbursement from their insurance company once they have completed their treatment.

What if my insurance doesn’t cover treatment at a methadone clinic?

Your insurance company may be able to help you pay for your methadone treatment.

If your insurance plan does not cover the cost of drug rehab, there are many facilities out there that have other options to assist with the financing of methadone treatment. Of course, cash payment for treated is always accepted and we have yet to find a facility that doesn’t take cash payments. Another option would be a state or federally funded program, which may be an option for the addict seeking treatment, although with these types of programs there tends to be a lengthy waiting list.

Methadone clinics may also be able to offer sliding scale payment options, which will assist in making the cost more manageable. One should also take into consideration, after care and maintenance medications as the recovering addict finishes the initial phases of treatment. There are a lot of plans that do not cover after care or medications so be sure to discuss this with your insurer so you will be prepared.

Once completely rolled out, the new Health Care Reform law better known as the Affordable Care Act, will assist addicts as it will ensure that most every type of health insurance plan will provide substance abuse treatment coverage, this also includes methadone treatments. With those provisions in place, people who are eligible for Medicaid coverage will have an easier time finding free methadone clinic care options.